Guide

When a member faced removal from the GDC register for not meeting CPD requirements, we thought the decision was unfair and helped them successfully appeal, as the GDC had not taken the extenuating circumstances into account.

At the same time, the case highlighted some potentially costly misunderstandings about the CPD rules, especially the need to complete ten hours CPD over any two-year period, including between five-year cycles.

Since we won the appeal, the GDC has published a CPD myth buster on its website to help dental professionals navigate the system and explaining how to apply for a grace period within the deadline.

As a member, you can also call the DDU for expert guidance from a fellow dental professional, whether about CPD or other dento-legal issues. We know you need prompt responses to urgent queries, and in 2023, we answered over 99% of calls to our advice line within 20 seconds, despite call volumes increasing by 5%.

And remember, calling doesn't affect your subscription. In fact, we'd much prefer that members pre-empt problems and get reassurance at the earliest opportunity. The sooner you call, the sooner we can help.

Support

As dental professionals, we're all part of a professional community, but that doesn't make us immune from problems of isolation in the workplace. This can be a source of distress for many, as ConfiDental's John Lewis pointed out in the spring issue.

Anyone can be affected, although it's a particular issue for younger dental professionals who are beginning their careers - often in much more impersonal environments than the owner-run family practices that used to be typical.

The mutual support of our peers is an important defence against professional isolation. In this issue, Shruti Chopra and Sarah Hartridge explain how we can all look out for colleagues and improve our own mental health through mechanisms such as mentoring, spending time with colleagues during breaks, reconnecting with old friends, attending courses in person and joining professional networks.

Our ethos of 'dental professionals for dental professionals' means we're there for members on a personal level, providing insight and advice, as well as information about health and wellbeing resources.

However, we want to see a better deal for the profession as a whole, and we will continue to use our influence to press for better support from government to relieve the morale-sapping pressure dental professionals are under. We have our own mandate from members, who made their views clear during the election campaign.

Defend

Of course, the big question that members have about their dental defence organisation is whether we will be there when they really need us - in the event of a clinical negligence claim.

In this issue, a dentist recounts being sued by a patient after they experienced post-extraction complications, reflecting on the shock of being accused of negligence for the first time in his long career.

In common with others in this situation, the member wrestled with a complex mix of feelings, from dismay on behalf of the patient to irritation with the adversarial legal process. Far more unusually, the case went all the way to court, before the judge ruled in his favour.

In reality, most dental claims are resolved at an early stage, and we have a high success rate of securing closure without paying a settlement. I hope that reading this account will reassure members that we will never settle a case for the sake of expediency or cost, and that we will put together the strongest possible team to defend their reputation.